Here’s a simple, comforting braised beef in sauce with homemade vegetable purée. This is a classic, slow-cooked dish where the beef becomes very tender and the purée makes the sauce rich and smooth without needing cream. 🍲
Braised Beef in Sauce with Homemade Purée
Serves: 4
Best cut: Chuck roast, beef shoulder, or brisket
Ingredients
Beef
- 2–2½ lb beef chuck, cut into large chunks
- Salt and black pepper
- 2 tbsp oil
Vegetables (for braising & purée)
- 2 onions, chopped
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups beef broth (or water)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp dried thyme (or rosemary)
Instructions
- Brown the Beef
Season beef with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Brown beef on all sides, then remove and set aside. - Cook the Vegetables
In the same pot, add onions and carrots.
Cook until soft and lightly browned (about 8 minutes).
Add garlic and tomato paste; cook 1 minute. - Braise
Return beef to the pot.
Add broth, bay leaf, paprika, and thyme.
Liquid should come halfway up the meat.
Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook on low heat for 2½–3 hours, stirring occasionally. - Make the Purée Sauce
Remove the beef and bay leaf.
Blend the remaining vegetables and liquid until smooth (use a blender or immersion blender). - Finish the Dish
Return beef to the puréed sauce.
Simmer uncovered 10–15 minutes to thicken.
Adjust salt and pepper.
Serving Suggestions
- Mashed potatoes or potato purée
- Rice or buttered noodles
- Polenta
- Crusty bread to soak up the sauce
Variations
- Richer sauce: Add a knob of butter at the end
- Deeper flavor: Replace ½ cup broth with tomato sauce
- Herb-forward: Add fresh parsley or thyme before serving
If you want, I can adapt this for:
- Slow cooker
- Pressure cooker
- Kid-friendly / mild version
- Or make it extra smooth like restaurant-style
Just tell me 👍
